Remote control device for ranges



Oct, 31, 1939. E. K. CLARK REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE FOR RANGES Filed Jn.29. 19s? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig: 4.

INVENTOR Earl K CYQrK.

wnuasses; WM

' ATTGRNEY Oct. 31, 1939. E. K. CLARK REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE FOR RANGES1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 29

INVENTOR ATTO'RNEY Ear/K. C/QrK.

I, II

' WITNESSES:

Patented Oct. 31, 1939 PATENT OFFICE REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE FOR RANGESEarl K. Clark, West Mansfield, Ohio, assig'nor to Westinghouse Electric& Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application January 29, 1937, Serial No. 123,003

. 4 Claims.

My invention relates to heating appliances and more particularly to theremote control of ther- "ofthe range shown in Fig. 1, except that thecon mostatic devices which regulate the temperatur of such appliances.

In ranges, or the like, having a controllable temperature regulator ithas been necessary in many cases to place the control knob therefor inclose proximity with such regulator. This limitation has been placedthereon because of the mechanical construction of such regulators whichrequired the control knob to be an integral part thereof. Due to thisrestriction upon the location of the control knob, the operation thereofhas been inconvenient and, in addition, the artistic design of rangeshas been retarded and limited in its progress. It is, therefore, anobject of my invention to overcome these restrictions by providing aremote control device that will actuate a thermostat placed within theoven and permit the control knob therefor to be placed anywhere on theback splasher or front panels of the range.

It is another object of my invention to provide a thin and compactassembly of the remote control device so that the use thereof will notadd to the depth of the range.

Still another object of my invention is to provide means whereby therewill be no lost motion between the movements of the control knob and theregulator.

Other objects of my invention will either be pointed out specifically inthe course of the following description of a device embodying myinvention, or will be apparent from such description.

In practicing my invention, I provide a thermostatic device subjected tothe oven or the chamber temperature, a control knob having a shaft ofany desired length and a compact flexible coupling means between thecontrol knob shaft and the thermostat which will transmit the movementsof such shaft to the thermostat without any lost motion.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a range utilizing my inventionwith the control knob shown upon the back splasher.

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of the range, shown in Fig. 1, takenalong line II-II thereof. Fig 3 is a fragmentary front elevational viewtrol knob is shown as being upon the front switch panel.

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view of the range,

shown in Fig. 3, taken along line IVIV thereof.

Fig. 5 is a sectional'view of a. thermostatic device as used with arange.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of Fig. 7.

Fig. '7 is an elevational view of the control knob and of means forcoupling it with a control drum associated with a thermostatic device.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7, and

Fig. 9 is a partial side view of the circuit-controlling device shown inFig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, I show a range I of any desirabledesign having a back splasher 2 and a switch panel 3. A control knob 4is shown in Fig. 1 as being located upon the back splasher 2 and in Fig.3 upon the switch panel 3. However, it is to be understood that theexact location of control knob 4, either upon the back splasher 2 orswitch panel 3, is to be a matter of individual choice and design. Thiscontrol knob 4 varies the operating temperature of the thermostaticregulator 30 located within the oven I! by means of a driving shaft 5 or5a, driving pulley 6, flexible strap 1, driven pulley 8 and driven shaft9. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the thermostatic device 30 may comprise abimetallic thermally actuated member II and any suitable contactingdevice located within a box or suitable receptacle ID. A shield l2 ofany suitable material and desired construction may be placed about thethermally actuated device II as protection therefor.

The control knob 4, which may be of any shape or size and of any desiredmaterial, is rigidly attached to drive shaft 5 or 511 by means of a setscrew H5. The drive shaft 5 or 511 operates within a drive shaft housing4| which may be rigidly attached to a control box M in any suitablemanher. The housing 4| may be loosely inserted through the back splasher2 permitting the control shaft to be projected through said backsplasher and into the control box M. The control box I4 may be looselymounted on the back splasher 2 by means of stud bolts 38 and coiledspring 39. The control box l4 may be rigidly mounted upon the stud bolts38 which may be slidably inserted through back splasher 2, and saidcontrol box I4 is prevented from becoming disengaged from said bolts bymeans of nuts 40 which are placed upon the free ends of the bolts.

A coiled spring 39 may be placed about drive shaft housing 4|, biasingcontrol box 14 away from the back splasher 2. Since drive shaft housing4| is free to move in respect to the back splasher 2 and since controlknob 4 is rigidly attached to box l4 through shaft 5 or 511 and housing4|, it is obvious that the back splasher 2 may be moved with respect tothe control knob 4 or control box I4 without impairing the operationthereof.

Located within the control box 14 and rigidly attached to the driveshaft 5 or 5a. is a driving pulley 8. A resilient member 42 may beplaced between the inner wall of control box l4 and said driving pulley6. This resilient member 42 will then bias the driving pulley away fromsaid control box, and the operatively associated control knob 4 andcontrol shaft 5 or 5a toward the control box. However, the collar 43 ofthe control shaft 5 or 5a acting as a thrust bearing in contact withhousing 4|, will prevent the longitudinal movement of the operativelyassociated control knob and driving pulley.

A flexible strap 1 is placed over and upon the driving pulley 6 and maybe rigidly attached thereto by means of small screws 36. This strap 1extends through the control box 14 and is placed over a driven pulley 8to which it may be rigidly attached by means of a screw 34. It isunderstood that the ratio of the size of the driving pulley 6 to thedriven pulley 8 may be of any magnitude. However, since it is desirableto keep the angular movement of the control knob within 360 it ispreferred that the ratio be approximately 1 to 3. The exact ratiobetween the driving pulley 6 and the driven pulley 8 is by no means afixed value but is determined by the inherent characteristics of thethermostatic controlling device.

An equalizing spring 35, as shown in Fig. 7, is inserted in one side ofthe flexible strap 1 and enables the movements of the control knob to betransmitted to the thermostatic device without any lost motion. Thedriven shaft 9 is rigidly attached to driven pulley 8 in any suitablemanner and is inserted within a shielding device 32, which extends overand is attached to a rigid bushing 31 attached to thermostat receptacleI8, preventing any binding between said shaft 9 and bushing 31. Thisprevention of binding follows because of the cooperation betweenshielding device 32 and bushing 31 which prevents any relativetransverse movement therebetween as described in more detail below. Thisdriven shaft 9 proceeds within the thermostatic box 10 where it may berigidly attached to a manually operated arm l8 having acircuit-controlling device located thereon.

When an operator grasps the control knob 4 to adjust the thermostat,such knob and rigidly attached box 14 may be moved with respect to thebacksplasher. This action tends to twist or move box l4 and the attachedend of shaft 9 with respect to the bushing 31. Were it not for thepresent invention, there would thus be a binding action between thebushing 31 and shaft 9.

However, since the shielding device 32 is also attached to the box I4,and since such device extends over and is attached to the bushing 31,the bushing, like shaft 9, will move with the box l4, that is, movementsof the box and bushing will be coordinated at all times. The bushing 31will thus remain coaxial with shaft 9 at all times, thereby preventingany binding action therebetween.

The circuit-controlling device located upon the manually operated arm [8may be composed of a toggle switch arm 24 and a contact arm 23 pivotallymounted thereon, both of which are substantially U-shaped. Thiscircuit-controlling device is snap-acting in action and is made so bythe overcenter spring 33. A second spring 3| makes thecircuit-controlling device return to its original position when theoperating pressure upon the toggle switch arm 24 has been removed.

The pressure on toggle switch arm 24 is transmitted thereto by a smallfinger 29 composed of any suitable non-conducting material. The finger29 is permanently and rigidly attached to thermally actuated arm 28 inany suitable manner. This thermally actuated arm 28 may be flexiblyattached to the thermally actuated drive shaft 21 by means of helicalspring 22 whereby the movements of said drive shaft 21 are transmittedthrough spring 22, the thermally actuated arm 28 and finger 29, to thecircuit-controlling device located upon manually operated arm I8.

Fig. 9 illustrates the relative position of toggle switch arm 24 andcontact arm 23 when arm 28 and finger 29 are operatively associated withthe toggle switch arm 24. It will be observed that contact' 2| locatedupon arm 23 is then operatively associated with screw contact which ismovably attached to bracket 19. As the pressure applied to toggle switcharm 24 is released, contact arm 23 will then snap to its oppositeposition and contact 21a will then be operatively associated with screwcontact 28a.

The bimetallic thermally actuated device ll may be rigidly attached, atone end, to the rear oven wall I3 by means of any suitable anchoringdevice and the small screw l5 and at the other end, to the thermallyactuated drive shaft 21 by means of a set screw 26 or any other suitableanchoring device.

In order to operate a thermostat for regulating the temperature within acooking oven or the like, by means of a device utilizing my invention,the control knob is set to the desired value, whereupon the flexiblestrap 1 operatively associated therewith rotates the driven pulley 8 andoperatively associated manually operated arm [8. The rotation of themanually operated arm l8, in turn, adjusts the thermostatic device to avalue corresponding to the setting upon the control knob 4. It is,therefore, obvious that by the utilization of my device in conjunctionwith any desirable thermostatic regulator, the temperature settingthereof may be controlled by a control knob which may be located uponthe range in any desired and suitable position. Accordingly, by using myinvention, the restriction which has been placed upon the location ofthe control knobs on ranges is eliminated, and the operating convenienceand artistic design of ranges are no longer limited by the restrictionswhich have required the placement of the control knob upon the range toonly a few less desirable positions.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my inventionwithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof and I desire thatonly such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by theprior art and the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a back-splasher for a range, a control box wallflexibly supported from said backsplasher, said backsplasher and saidbox wall having alined apertures therein, a bearing structure extendingthrough said apertures, said structure being secured to said box walland free to move within the backsplasher aperture, rotatable means,journalled within said bearing structure,

a pulley secured to said rotatable means on the side of said control boxwall remote from said back-splasher, manually operable means disposedadjacent to and spaced from the side of said 'back-splasher remote fromsaid control box wall for actuating said rotatable means, and a springinterposed between said back-splasher and said control box wall. v

2. In combination, a back-splasher for a range, a control box wallflexibly supported from said backsplasher, said backsplasher and saidbox wall having alined apertures therein, a bearing structure extendingthrough said apertures, said structure being secured to said box walland free to move within the backsplasher aperture, rotatable meansjournalled within said bearing structure, a pulley secured to saidrotatable means on the side of said control box wall remote from saidback-splasher, manually operable means disposed adjacent to and spacedfrom the side of said back-splasher remote from said control box wallfor actuating said rotatable means, a spring interposed between saidback-splasher and said control box wall, and a second spring interposedbetween said control box wall and said pulley.

3. In combination, a baok-splasher for a range, a control box wall inthe rear thereof and flexibly supported thereby, said back-splasher andsaid control box wall having alined apertures therein, a bearingstructure extending through said apertures, said structure being securedto said box wall and free to move within the back-splasher aperture, arotatable shaft journalled within said bearing structure, a pulleysecured to said shaft on the rear side of said wall, a knob secured tosaid shaft in front of and spaced from said back-splasher, and a coilspring surrounding said bearing structure and interposed between saidback-splasher and said wall.

4. In combination, a back-splasher for a range, a control box wall inthe rear thereof and flexibly supported thereby, said back-splasher andsaid control box wall having alined apertures therein, a bearingstructure extending through said apertures, said structure being securedto said box wall and free to move within the back-splasher aperture, arotatable shaft journalled within said bearing structure, a pulleysecured to said shaft on the rear side of said wall, a knob secured tosaid shaft in front of and spaced from said backsplasher, a coil springsurrounding said bearing structure and interposed between saidbacksplasher and said wall, and a dished spring interposed between saidwall and said pulley.

EARL K, CLARK.

